There’s still buzz in the scouting community that Lucroy could be moved in spring training. There are plenty of teams looking for a catcher, and Lucroy is the best available at the moment. The Brewers are exploring moving Lucroy for prospects.--Cafardo

That was my belief, as I did not feel a team would deal prospects for a catcher who suffered a concussion last September and had not caught since. Made perfect sense, and it still does.

I said I'd run the numbers, my projections, on the 2016 Crew this past weekend. I did so Sunday afternoon.

I am so surprised by the results, I have chosen to hold back the victory total for now. Why? Because they are not what I expected them to be. Thus, I feel a bit foolish typing them up. Hence, I will hold off for now, until I can run them again and verify them.

You would think the song and dance about "the bees are dying" would eventually change. I've been hearing about the end of the world as we know it, because of the bees, for so long now I'm sure the original scientists died of old age years ago.

The irony, of course, is the only answer these clowns have involves giving them cash so they can claim the bees are back. It's a good gig if you can get it, I suppose.

I think Jason will have a nice long career, but I'm not sure if he'll be a reserve/platoon guy or if he'll be an everyday player. As I often say, "all he does is hit," but all 1B/LF/RF hit, and he'll never be anything more than passable in the field.

Woke up to the clothes dryer not working this morning. Googled the problem (motor runs, but no spinning action) and it is almost certainly the belt, which is less than $10. The Rambling son and I watched a You Tube video and he went down and removed the front and top and verified there was no belt around the drum (I assisted by staying out of his way), meaning it is almost certainly a broken belt.

I'd complain, but our dryer is 13 years old and never given us a single problem. A coworker of mine put on Facebook she's in the hospital for the weekend. I guess we're pretty fortunate for our problem.

The Rambling son and wife just took a couple loads of wet clothes to the laundromat to dry (all mine were literally in the wash...I would have had to wear my leisure suit or a dress shirt with sweats).

One thing to keep in mind, if the Crew ends up keeping Walsh and/or Jones, they have to be on the 25 man roster for 90 days before 9/1. Hence, having one or the other spend some time on the DL would not be the worst case scenario...there's about 150 days before rosters expand, so if split up perfectly, you'd only have to have them both on the active roster for about a month of overlap.

Remember how under Obama, the left insisted they were going to volunteer more. Instead, they vandalized, created hazardous waste areas, and rape tents.

I, for one, am shocked. It's almost as if they did not tell the truth.

Best way to create more volunteering and charitable giving? A strong economy. Funny how punishing the successful doesn't seem to accomplish a whole lot other than...giving the successful less incentive to be successful.

Hopefully, this won't take the overworked and underpaid (heh) men in blue half a season to figure out, like the embarrassing "was he blocking the plate, even though he's allowed to block the plate?" scenario the fools struggled with for half of last year.

Very strange Alvarez would post it now. I assume he has decided Gard is his man, so he's just connecting the dots.

Obviously, it is very unlikely any top coach (Tony Bennett) will interrupt his prep to fly to Madison for an interview, so the other two interviews will likely be with mid major head coaches, and they'll be practicing for when another job (Gophers?) opens up.

Trump breaks all the supposed "rules" of presidential politics...and he just keeps doing well. The one thing no one talks about? Why it is different for a non politician.

The old media, and actually, many in the "establishment" keep underestimating how angry the public is. Trump is a college class all in himself...he does not hold all the positions a classic conservative does, but the irony is...no one does. I agree with him on about 95% of his platform, while I might agree with Rubio on 98%. He has been getting the votes of many Dems as well, and, one would assume, a lot of independents. But most of all, he appeals to the folks that have not voted before, or that rarely vote.

The one thing that keeps jumping out at me is an insistence that "he can't win." And, he just keeps winning. Another irony? The idea he might spur a 3rd party candidate to run. However, it seems to me that when you have a guy beloved by about 35% of the electorate, a 3-4 candidate race is exactly what said person would want to win.

Many have said they will never vote for Trump, and they will happily let Hillary win. We've lived through eight years of what happens when we settle for "not as bad."

I've had Back in Time, a documentary about Back to the Future, on my Netflix list for several months. Finally got around to watching it last night. Loved it, and it was so nice to see other fans, as well as the cast and those who made it, call it a "nearly perfect movie."

I've seen it a dozen plus times, and still love it. We were shocked when years ago, when we bought the Rambling son a DVD player for the car, and he watched BttF more than any other film.

So sad that the sequels, while certainly not bad films, do not hold a candle to the original.

Been an up and down season, and almost beyond belief, I just read someone say they would make the NCAA tourney even if they lost every game the rest of the regular season AND their first game in the conference tournament.

Given that Lunardi has them as a #7 seed, that might be correct...but let's not take a chance, especially given that they will be favored this weekend versus MICH, on the road at MIN, and in their first conference tourney contest; 3 of the 4, all except the finale at PUR.

I did not know cereal sales are down, as I recall eating it as an afternoon and evening snack for the first 40 years of my life (I rarely eat carbs on a daily basis since).

And, my guess as to the reason was way off (my thought was people did not keep milk in the house, as we rarely do). The Rambling son, for whatever reason, never ate cereal with milk, he would pour himself a bowl of cereal (usually Cheerios) and a cup of milk, and eat them separately.

Allow me to say, the reason they give makes millennials seem even lazier, just when I thought that wasn't possible.

Lost my appt for tomorrow due to illness, so I watched a few shows on Netflix, and am currently watching the debut of Fuller House, in which the 39 year old Candace Cameron Bure spends in a tight dress and a bare midriff.

Meghan McCain keeps saying that many candidates that run for president are not doing it to be president, they're doing it for a variety of other reasons; to sell books, to go on the speaking circuit, to become a spokesman (Fred Thompson, before his untimely death, represented a half dozen companies on TV), and so on.

Kasich has no chance of winning, but continues to run. Carson does too, but as I have said, has a different goal, perhaps to introduce more blacks to why he is a conservative.

This is why Obama has set the clock back on race relations half a century. When the first thing you do is concern yourself with what color the criminal was that got shot was, you are creating a color first mentality, rather than an American first perspective.

That's what happens when you elect a president that does not believe in American exceptionalism. When you have a guy who insists he can improve the greatest nation in the history of the planet, that fella is going to waste his time A LOT.

Hence, the last seven years of kicking the can down the road and pretending it's progress.

While I'm sure about 75% of fans could care less about anything but brats, burgers, dogs, and beer; the Brewers need to cater to 100%, or as close as they can get. I know the loaded nachos look really good when we've visited.

I assumed he'd open the season of the DL. He, like Liriano and Nieuwenhuis (spelled it right without looking it up, first time!), are out of options, and if Braun and Santana remain healthy, all *could* make the 25 man roster (Flores has actually played a decent amount of 1B, so he might have a fit there also, as he'd be a nice complement to Carter).

However, that would be an upset, as they are in a battle among several others (Broxton and Reed have options, Peterson and Young are on minor league contracts).

Churches are dying in the USA, many have gone out of business or are hanging on by a thread. I have pointed out in the past it is easy to see why...if a time traveler were to land in 2016 from 50 years ago, they would be overwhelmed by the change all around them...except in church, where they would feel right at home, and honestly, probably not even notice a difference.

The irony is, churches seem oblivious as to why this is, and are resistant to change...many have little or no online presence, and next to no social media interaction. Also, instead of looking at the successful, growing ones and stealing ideas (imitation, flattery, and all that), they belittle them. I have spoken many times of how enjoyable Joel Osteen is, his TV show is watched by many and it's no wonder why...25 minutes long, positive and funny message, and most of all, it's not painfully dull. 44K attend his church each week, the old Compaq Center in Houston, where the Rockets used to play.

But no, let's not try and do some of those things, let's keep doing the same stuff we've always done. I often note churches I drive by have special events like concerts, speakers, and plays on Sunday afternoons/evenings...at the exact same time as the Packers game, which have been scheduled for six months.

Of course, as many have pointed out, the Packers are a far bigger religion than any church will ever be, but not only does it keep them from garnering new members, it ticks off their existing ones. Heck, one of my assistant managers from my retail days would often go to the 7:30AM early service when the Packers played at noon...because the late service, at 10:30AM, might run late, and by the time she drove home, she'd miss the first quarter.

Could be HOU was trying to get Lucroy for 75-80% of his value before he proves himself healthy?

Both the Astros and Rangers would seem to be very good fits. Houston has to feel a bit leery of dealing with MIL, because not only does Stearns know their system up and down, the Brewers studied it extensively before the Gomez/Fiers trade, so they have an outsider's view of it also, so they can verify the new GM's biased beliefs (often, the people closest to prospects are the last to see their flaws).

Great to see the Badgers seeded #8 in Lunardi's latest bracket. That would seem to tell me they could withstand an upset loss and still make it into the field, as they are ahead of about 20 other at large teams.

I felt the Crew would likely hope he cleared waivers and sign him to a minor league contract, but as a LHP who has had past success, that was unlikely. He has no options, and only averaged 87 mph on his fastball last season, so if he's healthy, we will soon see it in his velocity.

They now have a half dozen players that have no options, and several will have to be outrighted and clear waivers to go down. Therefore, many of the guys we are discussing won't even be with the organzation in April.

Top 5 players you are not expecting to make the Opening Day roster...that just might surprise you:

1. Colin Walsh--Rule 5 pick, seemingly forgotten by many already. Might platoon with Scooter at 2B, might play some at 3B, might even be the reserve 1B, could backup LF/RF too, which is even more important if the Crew only carries 4 OF's.

3. Hernan Perez--returned on a minor league contract after being taken off the 40, and at the moment, the only other player on the 40 that can play SS other than Villar and Arcia (well, at a level at higher than Hill or Gennett) is Yadiel Rivera, and Yadi has 2 options left and probably needs more AAA PA's anyway.

4. Rymer Liriano--I keep seeing a CF platoon/pairing of Broxton and Nieuwenhuis discussed, but Liriano has no options left (Keon has a pair) and is a year younger.

5. Ariel Pena--I have not seen him listed in the rotation or a bullpen scenario yet, and not only was he outstanding in the majors last season, but he does not have an option remaining either.

They have been rewriting history ever since they opposed every single thing Abe Lincoln ever did 150 years ago. And tried their best to keep blacks from voting a century later.
And the old media helps them hide their past at every step.
I'd rather lose without them than win with them.

I should let new readers know, and remind veterans some things I will not be discussing ad nauseum, or for that matter, even linking to:

1. Who is in good shape, having gained muscle, or lost weight. Today, I read Scooter Gennett added 5 pounds of muscle over the offseason. Or, maybe he ate a lot of cheese and hasn't taken a crap for 36 hours. Truth is, both those scenarios will be unimportant as to him laying off breaking balls in the dirt.

2. In depth projections on the rotation order, bullpen roles, and so on. Usually, I do a roster prediction about March 1st, but this year, without knowing Stearns and Counsell's beliefs on roster construction, it will be just a guess.

3. Fluff pieces on anyone.

4. Discussion about the coaching staff.

5. Discussion about the weather.

6. Discussion about exhibition game results, especially wins and losses. It's silly to discuss the small samples of player results against a variety of levels of competition, but granted, sometimes there is little else to use, especially for 24th and 25th spots on the roster.

7. What level of the minors a player is going to.

8. "Signings" of players under team control. Outlets that do are either unaware or just filling space.

What will I discuss?

The last 5 spots on the roster, which is usually all that is up for grabs. With a young team like the Brewers, it might be 7-8, depending on unknowns.

Injuries. I wish we could fast forward to April 1st, because players often suffer season ending, or at least, season altering damage in workouts and meaningless games on subpar fields.

Demotions, releases, possible waiver claims. I won't mention when Arcia is inevitably sent down, because Stearns already has stated he will begin the season in AAA, but if one of the Rule 5 guys are offered back, that's very newsworthy, as it opens a 40 man spot and removes a player with potential from the system all at once.

For example, tomorrow, I will publish a piece about 5 players that I think will make the Opening Day roster (or, have a far better chance than you think) that you're not including in the projection in your head.

This reminds me of retail managers I worked with who yelled all the time, made employees bring in a note if they missed a day due to illness, and so on.

The result? The employees that stayed were loyal, but for the most part, very mediocre. The top of the line, upper echelon ones? They didn't put up with that type of treatment, and they easily found a similar position elsewhere.

These dudes in education have worked their way up the ladder their entire career by being politically correct and by being the classic stereotypical government employee...their only goal each day is to have a job at the end of the day. Whenever doing the best job you can is not the goal, this is exactly what you end up with.

That's why they hate charter schools, school choice, and such so much.

That's because betting markets have skin in the game, while the old media is looking for a story. Cruz should be higher than 2%, but both he and Rubio soundly defeat Trump head to head...but not with 3-5 in the race.
Funny, that's what Walker said months ago. Once again, he seems to have hit the nail on the head well ahead of the masses.

Finally seeing some comparisons tonight that Trump's victories are similar to Jesse Ventura's tell it like it is, mass appeal from both sides of he aisle I lived through in MN. I said this ages ago.

People keep predicting there's no way Trump can win...check.

Others make fun of the people who are voting for Trump...check.

Trump says things many think are damaging, even though much of the public agrees with it...check.

Ventura won even though 6 of 10 voted against him...check.

Rubio coming in 2nd is actually a bigger story for the most part. SC played nearly perfectly to Cruz's strength. Bush dropping out and Rubio was the 2nd choice for his people. Carson staying in damages Cruz's brand.

A $15 minimum wage is ridiculous, and everyone knows it (note that has not stopped socialists and economic know nothings from supporting it, but hence, I digress). They are hoping a "compromise" is reached, which coincidentally, will result in a $3-5 an hour increase for union workers, which will result in a huge increase in union dues, which, as we all know, is basically just a money laundering mechanism for the Democrat party.

--Rubio has the same momentum he had in Iowa. Moving up every time you see a poll.

--Trump always seems to get 35% in polls. Recently, several candidates dropped out, including Christie and Fiorina. Since then, Trump...remains at about 35% in every poll. He has his voters, but gains little from others when they quit. Rubio gains. Cruz gains.

--Bush still gets between 9-15% in SC, though rumors persist he will drop out soon. A good chunk of those voters, probably a third, are likely to flip before they vote. Most will probably go to Rubio, with the remainder to Cruz. This is how the long primary process narrows the field, as donations dry up quickly if the possibility of winning diminishes.

--Clinton's insurmountable lead is falling. While she looks to still win SC, she should also easily win NV, because very few young people live there...but she's behind. The other day on Outnumbered, Meghan McCain and others pointed out regardless of how the primaries end up, Hillary has so many super delegates, she cannot lose. But if she fails to get as many votes as George Constanza's socialist dad, she will find a way to save face (many are questioning her health now, and have been for a year plus).

--I forget who said it (it might have been Greg Gutfeld), but it's very true...Bill Clinton is looked at by all but the extreme left as a chronicle abuser of women, just a terrible human being...and he's still far more popular than Hillary. Let that sink in a few minutes.

Greinke is, at best, a unique, odd fella; and at worst, tolerated because he's very talented. The idea he's going to "lead" any player on any team is about as far fetched as someone calling me anorexic any time soon.

David Freese is still out there, and has barely been associated with any team other than CLE. No idea if Stearns has any interest at all, and if he did, it would likely be a deal similar to Uribe's, one year, probably more money, I'd guess $7-9M. Seems like there must be a team that would like a veteran 1B/3B/DH, especially when one considers the dearth of RH power.

I try not to pick on weather guys and gals that much, because it's too easy. It's like making fun of blondes for being stupid or fat guys for being jolly (there's a stereotype I destroy on a daily basis, but hence, I digress).

That said, last night I was surprised to see a weather warning scroll on the TV last night during the late news. Thinking it might be a fog warning and wanting to let the Rambling wife know, I watched it and found it was a "high wind advisory" until 6PM.

I just came to the realization there was little to no wind, so I punched up Weather Underground...0 mph. Advisory still in effect. Cause they know better, you stupid rube.

Michigan State with a dominant performance, though the Badgers worked the deficit down to 12 at the end...not sure if that counts as a "good loss" to the NCAA tourney folks or not. Hopefully, the UW can bounce back Sunday versus the Illini.

The Political Insider
reported Thursday the Bush campaign had enough money to pay staff
through Saturday’s South Carolina primary, and shared a tweet from
syndicated columnist Phil Kerpen that Bush had told donors he would drop
out unless he placed a “strong third” in the primary. He currently runs
fourth or fifth in most polls.

The lack of cash has doomed many a campaign. I'd say, realistically, it's a 3 man race on the GOP side. Carson may have ulterior motive for continuing, be it practice or the lack of a fellow religious conservative in the pack, but I don't feel the others do.

Likely to see a boatload of MLB contracts signed in the next 10 days or so, as major league camps are starting soon, with minor leaguers usually reporting 10-14 days later.

Any Brewers' possibilities? I'm sure there is, though I would bet most are of the minor league variety, as I would assume Stearns would like to keep a 40 man spot open to add a player DFA'd by a team signing a late FA (BAL looks like they will be signing a pair soon).

Just noticed the Badgers play on Sunday night the next 3 weeks. I remember a few years ago, the ACC played a Sunday night game on ESPN, and I thought, "Well, that's kind of a stupid time to have a game."

Now, I think it's great they often have a Big Ten game on, because almost everyone is home Sunday nights, though I'm sure half the folks who have BTN have no idea there's a game on.

They always lie, and they are always wrong.
Let's be blunt...there's no way a human being can live in a modern society and not have an ID, unless you live well off the grid or a life involving cash and most likely crime.

We all get it...it's an attempt to have illegals vote, and to be able to cheat. Stop pretending it's anything else.

Surviving Eagles and Jackson Browne sing a tribute to Glenn Frey at the Grammys. I have not heard of anything, but a summer tour involving the Eagles would make sense, as the adoration for them after Frey's death was simply overwhelming.

I recall watching a documentary on The Eagles on Netflix, in which they said Take It Easy was kind of a "song of an era" that appealed to the young people at the time, many of which watched their liberal friends out protesting Vietnam, others joining the military, and they just were trying to figure out what classes to take the next semester and whether to ask a girl out on a date. Geez, just relax, and take it easy.

We could all learn a lesson from that. The Rambling wife and I went on an errand Saturday and a car whizzed by us at maybe 45-50 mph in the city, and a few seconds later, sat at the stop light a few feet ahead of us. It's hard to believe how stupid people are.

I voted today (I would not have had I not been driving by the polling place) and despite the fact I showed my ID (I actually have the past several times, out of pure spite), the sky did not fall, the planet did not stop spinning, the moon did not collide with the sun.

The Clinton name, at best, has a mixed message. As pointed out here, young folks know Bill as the president who got impeached and lied. They know Hillary from 8 years ago, when she lost to a little known senator who gave a good speech and had no specifics at all as to how he would accomplish it.

It's like deja vu all over again. The main issue is simple...Bill is a noted philanderer and Hillary is less popular than he is.

They pretend the baseball one is a huge game, that the NFL one is so bad it might not be played anymore, the NBA one is vital PR, and the NHL one is barely watched.
They're correct on the NHL. All the rest...lots of ado about nothing. My goodness, 18M went to see Deadpool last weekend.

I regret that I let the emotions of the game get the best of me. I let my team down and I accept full responsibility for my actions.--Diamond Stone

I can barely put into words how funny it is that the Terps are pretending those words actually came out of Stone's mouth.

"...And then he walked to the university academic center where he studied for several hours, before donating blood and then visited the local children's center where he taught several poverty stricken youth better ballhandling skills. Later, he visited the malt shop on his way back to his dormitory room before hitting the books until well past midnight..."

Stone is what he is, of course, an incredible talent who is spending a year in college because the NBA makes him. If Maryland was at all upset with him pushing Brown's head toward the floor, they would not have had him play in the 2nd half. But, they did, because they wanted to win and felt they just might, he played. Because they're confident of destroying MIN, the "suspension" amounts to a day of rest for Stone and, at best, a fictional attempt at discipline.

It's like me telling the media I will not allow the Rambling son to play soccer next season because he is not taking his academics seriously enough, and then shooing him away before he can respond he hasn't played soccer in several years.

Maryland suspends Diamond Stone for Thurs' game at Minnesota for technical vs. UW. B1G agrees and issues public reprimand.--Badger Nation
1. For a non flagrant foul? That seems as if the referees were complete idiots.

2. I think a better way of typing this up may have been, "Big Ten suspends Diamond Stone for one game. Maryland says they'll take care of it because they play a weak opponent next. Big Ten says okie dokie."

I must admit, given the pure fear that existed back when 1B and CF were up for grabs, that's all some old media types talked about...but for some reason, no such angst seems to exist for 3B. The top candidate seems to be Hill, who would seemingly be a much better fit platooning at 2B and not playing much, given his declining production. Others, such as Cecchini, Middlebrooks, and Rivera, are probably far better suited playing every day in AAA.

EDIT: I said Juan Uribe might end up in MIL early in the offseason. Seems unlikely, but he makes sense at 3B as well.

Stearns says they're "still exploring options," which I assume means they will talk to Ryan about it. It does not make a whole lot of difference, the one thing being that a weak armed reserved OF might not be considered if they do not feel he could play RF for a week or two.

Braun has always done whatever is asked, but has been reluctant to bounce around, wanting to play one spot every day. I do not know if he has a preference, but we may find out.

What no one is saying is the thing that matters most...you put together a movie that the public likes, and they will flock to it. And many of the folks seeing it were just like me...having never heard of it as of a few days ago, but after hearing so many good reviews from others, went out to see it.

Stearns seems to be a believer, or he has his analytics department running a similar program which "mirrors" the results of KATOH.

His first two trades netting him Flores and Betancourt, two relative unknowns, but both KATOH darlings. I said at the time it was far more than coincidence, but others disagreed. I stand by my beliefs.

This ESPN piece feels the worst 5 teams in MLB are in the NL, and will win between 61 and 69 games each. Many feel there will be little middle ground in the NL, with the playoff teams winning 90+ and the bottom 5 61-69...that would leave 5 others between 70 and 89.

This is a huge movie day since so many people are off for President's Day tomorrow. I didn't even know it was a holiday until FRI, when several companies emailed me to say they'd be closed MON. I saw the title of the emails and my first thought was, "Bad storm coming?"

It will cost far more than $18T, because his economic ignorance fails to take into account the fact he will lose tax collection cash from medical personnel; that the government will incur more cost by having to take over the hospitals and clinics, because they cannot make a profit on the pittance they would get from his "Medicare for all" plan; and most of all, the fact that the government is by definition inefficient, because they have no skin in the game.

They will have hundreds of overpaid, underworked government employees blundering their way through the process; pushing papers, coming in late and leaving early; and fitting in a three hour lunch, which they will expense to the taxpayers, because they deserve it.

Never mind the nugget of fact no one will want to work the "off hours," so walk in and ER waits will multiply. This will lead to more folks flooding the clinics from 9-5 (OK, 11-3) Monday thru Friday, so wait times there will skyrocket...remember the VA?

You're sick? Sorry about that...how 'bout July 6th, it's a Tuesday, 11:30AM. Be sure you come in 90 minutes before for paperwork, and bring a sack lunch. With any luck at all, you'll die long before then, because, guess what, we don't have a doctor scheduled that day anyway!

Last night was below zero, but the lowest low in the extended outlook is 8 above on 2/28.

Since that goes until 3/28, I feel pretty comfy telling you the below zero weather is probably over until next November or December. This has been one of the mildest winters I've ever experienced. Thankful for el nino.

Greg Gard a serious candidate for Big Ten coach of the year honors the way Badgers have played during this streak.--Marcus Fuller

I said a while back this may be the finest coaching job we've seen in Madison, despite the fact Bo Ryan did a near perfect job during his reign. This team is oodles better than they were two months ago. Gard might be lucky, or he might be good, but as of now, it's hard not to give him credit.

The terror attacks would have continued, because, as we all know, for the past 35 years, the left has refused to admit terrorism exists, going so far as to call it "workplace violence" and other such euphemisms that show how out of touch they are.

Badgers with an easy, convincing win in Maryland, who had never lost a home Big Ten game before.

As of this second, Badgers would be in the NCAA tournament. And, they seem to be be arcing upwards, and being a young team, could keep doing that. That said, a bad loss could easily knock them out, as could a couple upsets in conference tournaments.

My only complaint would be Khris is probably not going to get any worse, and might have been worth more to a team in July that had an OF or DH go down. Of course, he could hurt his knee tomorrow and never play again too.

Allow me to recap the last few seconds of the first half of the Badgers/Maryland game.

--Diamond Stone, who is so stupid he barely qualified to play in college despite taking the ACT/SAT numerous times, pushes Vitto Brown to the ground, and then while getting up, pushes the back of Brown's head to the floor.

--In response, Badgers Charlie Thomas said something to Stone, and the players were pulled apart.

Call? Double technical foul, Stone and Thomas.

Are you kidding me? That's a flagrant two and an ejection, and probably another game or two suspension for Stone. That might be the most gutless call I have ever witnessed by 3 guys getting paid to officiate. They should be ashamed and never allowed to call another game. Absolutely pathetic. They took at least 5 minutes to look at a replay and they came up with that garbage.

1. Some still have not figured out Stearns does not care about level, as he himself has stated on numerous occasions, he'd just trying to accumulate talent. I have even put forth the thought he is purposely trying to add players that do not have to be put on the 40 yet because he knows he will have to add a few non roster invitees that make the 25 man to the 40 at the beginning of April.

2. The one thing I'm a bit surprised to see is so much doubt about Santana. He has almost mirrored Davis' numbers, and is several years younger, and still far away from his mythical peak of 27. Of course, with such complaints as "he strikes out too much," I'm almost embarrassed to read such drivel.

3. The constant concern about 2016, while tiresome, is moot here...this effects the depth of the '16 team, and possibly the offense a bit if you had Santana penciled in as the CF many days. However, not only should Domingo come close to matching Khris' production, he should be better on defense and will get PA's to develop at his natural position.

I'll have more to follow on the prospects, but one is a pitcher and one is a pitcher.

EDIT: I was just thinking this AM, don't forget, Chris Carter can play LF, and there's a plethora of "placeholders" available to play 1B, Adam LaRoche and James Loney spring right to mind.

ADDED: Brewers get a top catching prospect, Jacob Nottingham, who used to be with HOU, so Stearns is well familiar with him. Oustanding bat, we'll see if he is able to stick at C as he moves up or not, so far, he has thrown out a passable 36% and has had 38 passed balls in 3 years...considering how wild young pitchers are and how tough official scorers are in the lower levels (Lucroy had 30 PB's his first 3 years in the minors, but was 21 when he started, Jacob is just 20 now) that's to be expected.

Was in high A ball the 2nd half of last season, so he'll either start 2016 in high A Brevard County or AA Biloxi. Turns 21 in April, so I would guess he'll spend at least part of the upcoming campaign repeating high A ball...but, as I say often, we do not know what Stearns' feelings are on this matter. Nottingham was the A's 8th best prospect, rated the 6th best C prospect in MLB and is a great athlete, the Astros had to give him $300K to buy him out of taking a football scholly at Arizona, where he was a TE.

The pitcher, Bubba Derby, was just drafted last June, and, stop me if you've heard this before, had a very high K/BB ratio of almost 5-1 in his first pro season. Derby is a RHP and is only 5-10, so my guess...this could be a case of Stearns feeling he'd be a 1st or 2nd round pick if he were 6-2. Derby is a San Diego State product, so he's 22, so he's likely to move faster, probably starting in Appleton or possibly even Brevard County.

Derby is good, though even with his awesome numbers (12.5 K/9) we’re
still not quite sure how good he really is. The fact that he can throw
two above-average breaking balls to complement his 88-92 (94 peak)
fastball is obviously a very good thing. His 5-11, 185 pound frame,
however, could give evaluators some pause when projecting him to carry a
full starter’s workload in the big leagues one day. I don’t share those
concerns, but I get it. I’d personally like to see or hear more about a
usable changeup before going all-in on him as a potential average or
better big league starter, but the pieces are there.--Baseball Draft Report, April 2015

Nottingham has 70-grade raw power and could eventually
develop into a 20 to 25 homer bat behind the plate, though his receiving
is fringy.--Keith Law after Nottingham was traded last July
Obviously, Nottingham is the jewel here, as there's only a few young catching prospects, as most receivers have a very limited upside, as the vast majority of minor league catchers are listed as "possible backups." John Sickels ranked him 5th among OAK farmhands, and BP had him 66th in all of MLB.

I have long felt Davis is underrated, as he is an above average offensive LF, and adequate defensively, though his weak arm limits him to LF and DH. He has 4 years left of team control, though power hitters like him will be very expensive in '18 and '19. There's a premium to be paid to pick up a young C, and in this case, Khris is it.

Needless to say, Santana certainly appeared capable of playing a corner OF spot in the majors every day. Losing Khris certainly hurts the OF depth in case of injury, but there's little drop off to the starting lineup. With several OF's out of options, like Liriano, Flores, and Nieuwenhuis, and Peterson in AAA, the quantity is still there, though the quality takes a hit.

I refuse to believe that on judgement day, my diet is going to come into question.

I always tell these stories this time of year, but I will again, because it sums it up so well. I was working at the toy store one Friday, and didn't feel like leaving the store for lunch. I asked my friend John if he wanted to order subs, he agreed. We're eating in the lunch room and all of a sudden, John says, "Oh no. It's Friday." I looked at him dumbfoundedly, and he said, "Can't eat meat on Friday." I smiled, as I had no such constraints. He paused, looked at his half eaten sandwich, shrugged, and said, "Oh well," and continued eating. He later left the church, as because he had been married in his wife's church, he was told his kids were considered to be born out of wedlock. He picked up his toys and went home.

My roommate back in the Eau Claire days, was talking about one of the employees at the pizza place asking if they could make part of a pizza with just cheese so he would not eat meat on Friday. My roomie said, "Yeah, he has no problem living with his girlfriend without being married, but nope, no meat on Friday. Explain that to me."

Today I would reply with something like "Arbitrary faith, choosing to follow random beliefs, mostly the ones that were not difficult. Back then, I probably said, "Heh. That's funny."

That always sums it up to me. I'm pro choice on most everything, so you do what you want, I just hope you realize how silly it is. When my wife changed her denomination years ago, she was downright giddy when Lent rolled around...though she had "forgotten" on numerous occasions herself and enjoyed the flesh of many a warm blooded beast on the 6th day...she's just lucky I found it in my heart to tolerate such weak moments.

The thing is, there seems to be some folks who do not eat dairy either, as I have seen several folks say they ate cheese in error, or forgot to ask for their sandwich without. It's almost like they turn vegan on Fridays during Lent...but seafood is OK...because.

I have barely heard of Deadpool, other than it's a comic book and not directly related to the popular pastime of folks choosing who will die in the upcoming trip around the sun, kind of a fantasy "who's going to die" contest.

While on the subject of catchers, let’s not forget the Brewers’ Jonathan Lucroy, who has drawn interest from the Rangers, Nationals and Athletics, among others.

Potential suitors figure to scout Lucroy in spring training to make sure he is fully recovered from the concussion he suffered near the end of last season. The Brewers, though, could hold him until the deadline or even next offseason.--Rosenthal

I think he's gone as soon as he takes a couple foul tips and says he has no symptoms.

This is why it's so funny the JS and other newspapers are holding on to the illusion they'll be able to charge for online content...let's see, I can get it for free at any of a dozen sites, or I can pay for the JS to hear Tom H complain the team is not gritty enough and lacks heart.

It's a different world, my friends. Those that do not change with it will be left behind.

He throws strikes and gets ground balls, but is 34, so his ceiling is very minimal. As I often say, minor league contracts are no risk, and are always a good thing, especially with players with major league experience.

One of many things we do not know about with Stearns is whether he wants to use the minors strictly for development or if he wants his minor league clubs to win. If so, we may see more of these veterans signed, 2-3 for Biloxi, 4-5 for Colorado Springs.

I am the only person that has pointed out that the Bucks have way more home games remaining than road games. As I often say, that is meaningless unless the Bucks win the vast majority of those games.

Many have pointed out that the Bucks are all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, as they have several teams ahead of them, and the 8th place team is on pace to win 42, and MIL would have to go 20-8 to win 42...never mind they'd also have to win the tiebreaker.

The one thing that fails to take into consideration is...well, maybe #8 only wins 39...17-11 is still unlikely, but with 18 home games, it "could" happen.

Very unlikely. Even an unbridled optimist would say the Bucks will win 35 (as of this second, they're on pace for 33). But that's why they play the games.

If you just returned from a 20 year trip in space and turned on the Dem debate, your first thought would be, "So, when is this undercard between the two seniors over so we can get on with the real debate? What? You're kidding me."

{See, we call it a suggestion when the wife tells us to do something. It gives us a hint of power.}

So, I asked her if she would like chicken, ground beef, or venison, she told me I "might as well try to make something with that venison" the Rambling inlaws gave us. I thawed it out, not even knowing what cut it was, and found it to be tiny pieces sliced very thin...almost as if it was pheasant or some other very small animal. I baked some potatoes for those who still eat carbs and fried the thin cutlets in butter, with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper, only for a minute or two a side, as not to overcook it.

I gave the Rambling son his, and after letting it rest about 5 minutes, I was shocked to find out I had made quite possibly the best tasting main course in my "think I'll make me a frozen pizza" life. It just melts in your mouth, and I would never know it was not beef.

And, oh by the way, it's still working perfectly. As the link points out, the sky has not fallen. Lessons can be learned from this. Threats and bad behavior simply do not work, nor should they. Leadership means spending less and allowing people that earn the money to keep their money.

And, if given a choice, people refuse to pay their union dues. When the only way you can convince people to pay you is to have it taken from their check, you're talking about an extremely unpopular group. Just five years later, only about 50% choose to send in a check.

They're pro choice only when you agree with them. Otherwise, they heartily believe in violence, vandalism, and the like.

That's a shame. I'm terribly sorry your cruise ran into bad weather. I'm sorry you're getting your money back and a huge discount on another cruise. Most of all, I'm sorry we are a nation of whiners who expect nothing but sunny days, good news, and extra cheese.

This is why a socialist can run for president with an economic platform based on Robin Hood...and not be laughed off the stage.

If the Badgers' season goes as "projected" (the favorite winning each game), they would go 3-4 the rest of the regular season, and then 1-1 in the conference tournament, so they would finish 19-14. Would that be good enough for a NCAA berth?

I would doubt it. They might well need to "steal" a game or two on the road, or win extra games during the tourney. And, of course, win every single game that they "should," which ain't easy either.

Ramblings will probably be running some sort of ticket giveaway for the July 10th game with the Bob Uecker talking alarm clock, unless, of course, we decide to attend the game ourselves. That alarm clock is worth the price of several cheap tickets to me.

Might be the last dance, as the next CBA might well include an international draft (or the regular June draft might include internationals). With the major league payroll set to come in at about $70M, one would assume Mark A would put the excess $30M or so they have spent on MIL payroll into acquiring young players...with the Latin American market being one of them.

Personally, instead of hiring a former ballplayer to fill the broadcaster position, I assume the Brewers will...wait for it...hire a broadcaster, either one with major league experience or one that has worked their way up the minor league ladder.

Bob Uecker was on Carson often and was a well known funny man when he was brought on. Dillard has made a few You Tube videos. I think he may be very good at it, but he can work his way up just like everyone else.

Bush and PACs supporting Jeb spent $35M in NH and tied with Rubio for 4th, who spent about $5M. Cruz spent $800K in notoriously moderate NH and got 12%. Christie spent $18M and managed 6th, and has suspended his campaign.

I've seen several folks mention Christie's opportunity was 2012, when his only competition was the qualified, but dull and very straight laced Romney. Trump saying whatever comes to mind has kind of made Christie's witty thoughts seem boring.

According to Twitter, Hillary just gave the worst speech of all time in NH. Blamed "big money" and "GOP machine" for her loss. Several mentions that she looked unstable, medicated, or deranged. I have seen no fewer than a half dozen comparisons to the "Howard Dean yell," wondering if this might be the beginning of the end.

Allow me to say, Ms. Clinton just became the first person in US politics to lose a prez primary to an avowed socialist. Tomorrow, the talk will be more of a 3rd horse like Biden entering the race than Hillary.

Exit polls in NH
Sanders +88 if honesty and integrity were most important (yes, 88, 93-5)
Sanders +31 among men
Sanders +7 among women

One thing no one else seems to be mentioning...Trump isn't getting a much higher vote percentage than he did in IA...the others are just being split by more candidates. It keeps getting back to what Walker said when he dropped out, the field so massive, a candidate can win with a small amount of votes.

I'm far from a cattle expert, but I would imagine the first order of business for Kroenke (other than, of course, lying in bed with a model as $100 bills rain down upon them) would be to somehow figure out how in the world his 520K acre ranch has only 6800 cattle on it.

If you google it, a cow/calf pair needs about 2 acres for a year. Considering the cropland, they should have ten times the cattle...at least.

The truth is, Cam Newton could have acted better after the loss. However, in the industry, no one is upset that they have a poor loser on the team. In fact, I guarantee you many teams look at this as a positive.

I must admit, hearing today that Bill called Bernie "dishonest" was one of the funnier moments of the campaign. His wife tells the truth every other leap year, and let's not forget, Bill was impeached after committing perjury.

Not only is this one of the best TV ads I've ever seen for a sports team, I would be shocked if Counsell has not quietly agreed to an extension at least as long as the deal Stearns has.

Note how it mentions not being a bandwagon fan, and how it promotes loyalty, enjoying the team even if they are not contending, and how Craig is "one of you"...hinting he's in it for the long haul, and gosh darn it, you should be too.

I'm sure season ticket sales will be down (full season equivalents, known as FSE's in the industry, were estimated at about 14K last year, but were down 7% last month, around 1K), but hopefully, all except the most casual of fans will find it difficult to start over, after being a season ticket holder for 3, 7, or 10+ years...it seems to me it'd be tough to see 1 or 2 after taking a season or two off, and having to start over on the seniority scale.

These are the good old days. Some folks are just too busy wishing the streets were paved with gold to enjoy the good times.

Whatever strikes me as
interesting, and serious Milwaukee Brewers thoughts. If you are a believer
in respecting OBP, throwing strikes, and keeping the ball in the park,
you may have found the place you've been searching for. I believe in low taxes, small government, and am not afraid to be labeled patriotic. If you are interested in sausage race results, walk up music, or professional wrestling, you may wish to click elsewhere.

I'm happy to pay taxes to help the helpless. I don't like paying taxes to help the clueless. Look at the Occupy movement...I'm forced to pay taxes to help those whose plight I delight in.--Dennis Miller

If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, and your life will be brief.--President Trump

Never have lives less lived been more chronicled.--Dennis Miller

I’m going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.--Mad Dog Mattis

I have never understood why it is "greed" to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to want to take somebody else's money.--Thomas Sowell